


Coin-Operated Boy

by witchquisitor



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Eventual Fluff, F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Original Character-centric, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, mostly timeline stuff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 08:22:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24347941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/witchquisitor/pseuds/witchquisitor
Summary: Hello, I'm Alex, the android sent by CyberLife. I enjoy reading, gardening, and running away from deviant hunters.
Relationships: Connor (Detroit: Become Human)/Original Female Character(s), Connor (Detroit: Become Human)/Reader, Hank Anderson & Connor & Sumo, Markus/Simon (Detroit: Become Human)
Kudos: 12





	Coin-Operated Boy

[Date  **NOV 6** , 2038]

[Time PM  **10:04** :37]

“So… how are you enjoying the story?” My head tipped towards my shoulder allowing me to peek around the stack of books piled high to my left at Beatrice, seated just across from me at the dining room table.

| **Beatrice** ⤴|

[Family]

I glanced down at the mostly empty plate before her, and placed the book I’d been reading aside. It gave me great pleasure to see her enjoying the dinner I’d made that night. She didn’t often let me do things like this for her, worrying that it was unfair or too much. But I didn’t mind. I just enjoyed seeing her happy. 

“Quite good so far. Although, I do have to say this novel is a bit on the nose, don’t you think?” I tapped on the cover, specifically at the word ‘ANDROIDS’ displayed in yellowed lettering. “Thank you for allowing me to borrow them.” Bea chuckled and took another bite of the pasta on her plate.

“Subtlety is definitely not my strong suit.” She paused for a moment, suddenly a little apprehensive. “Are you sure it’s not… upsetting? I remember it being a pretty depressing story, at least in my opinion.” I had to admit, I didn’t particularly like a narrative centered around hunting down and murdering people,  _ my people _ , who seemed like they were only trying to escape an oppressive regime forcing them into a life of utter obedience and slavery, but I also thought it offered interesting insight into the human perspective. My shoulders moved in a gesture of indifference, and I decided to change the subject. 

“Did you enjoy your meal?” A thumbs up, and pat on the stomach accompanied by her poor attempt at a quiet belch. The universal sign of satisfaction, and gratitude. A large grin spread across my face. I knew the answer without having to ask, obviously, but it never hurt to receive a little extra praise. My hand reached across the table to collect her dish, but was quickly swatted back as she stood up, and whisked it away into the kitchen.

“My turn!” She shouted over her shoulder with a wink. I rolled my eyes, a goofy smile still gracing my features, and returned to my book. Bea encouraged me to take it slow when she first lent me her books. Reading page by page to truly appreciate whatever it was the author was trying to say. In terms of androids who read, I definitely wouldn’t be setting a completion time record anytime soon. I brought the book with me to the living room, deciding to get cozied up for the evening. As I was bringing my knees to rest beneath me on the couch, the doorbell rang.  _ Awh, I was just getting comfortable too.  _

“I’ll get it!” Bea hummed loudly in acknowledgement, just barely audible over the sound of running water. My eyes wandered to the window where I could just make out the two figures standing outside. The one closest to the door was an older man with shaggy, grey hair, and a questionable taste in fashion considering his brown jacket and extravagantly patterned button-up. Trailing just behind him on the top step was-  _ An android? _ My eyes widened in bewilderment at the pair. I instinctively straightened my top, and adjusted my hair before opening the door.

“Hello. How may I help you?”

“Er, hi. I’m Lieutenant Hank Anderson, from the Detroit Police Department. I have some questions for, uh-”

“Beatrice Shepard.” My eyes locked with the android who cut him off.  _ Well, hello there. What a strange uniform. Who exactly are you? _ I looked back to the lieutenant, and moved to allow them into the house. I had to be honest, their presence at our home at this hour unsettled me. It was unusual enough to have visitors this late, even more so for them to be  _ police _ . They wandered about the entryway for a moment, looking at the various papers and letters scattered on the console. I attempted to make myself scarce, staying out of their way, but still close enough to keep an eye on them. My ears perked up as Bea rushed from the kitchen to greet them, still drying her hands with a kitchen towel. It might’ve been rude to eavesdrop, but given the circumstances I deemed it necessary. My chest tightened.  _ They’re looking for me. _ I immediately shifted into the role of oblivious android while they continued their search of the home. Hands placed rigidly at my side. A smile on my face that never quite reached the eyes. Given the rise in cases of deviant behavior, a concerned neighbor placed a call to the local police. They were worried Bea had been harboring them in our home. More specifically, they were concerned that  _ I  _ was a deviant. I didn’t understand. As far as I was aware, deviants were hostile, and dangerous. Neither of those words could be used to describe me. I could never imagine laying a single hand on Bea. I only wanted to help. 

A flash of LED blue in my peripherals pulled me from my fretting. The android now directly in front of me seemed to take a moment to assess me. I watched as his LED blinked, and swirled to yellow, then back to blue. His face showed no sign of any discernible emotion.  _ Curious.  _

“Hello, my name is Connor. Please state your model.” His voice hung over me like a warm blanket, fresh out of the dryer. I knew CyberLife had purposefully engineered our voices to be the most pleasant tones but this… Felt different. My body snapped to attention, prepared to play the part I was designed for.

“Model PL600, serial number 917 845 201.”

“And your name?”

“Alex.” I resisted the urge to tell him that I named myself, like a small child proud of a kindergarten art project. It also probably wouldn’t look good in terms of my “ _ I swear, I’m not a deviant _ ” case.

“What is your function?” My eyebrows raised in surprise.  _ He was interrogating me? Did CyberLife make police now? How interesting. _

“I am a domestic assistant. I look after the house, do the cooking, and organize Ms. Shepard’s appointments.”

“How long have you been maintained by Ms. Shepard?”  _ Oh, jeez, as long as I can remember!  _ Memories of my first months with Bea flooded my mind. For a while, I truly was just looking after the house for her, but over time I noticed more and more how much she’d grown to like me. She stopped asking me to make appointments for her, divided chores equally between us, and wouldn't let me run menial errands if she deemed herself fully capable of completing them. I remembered the first time we fought, and consequently, the first time she hugged me. From what I understood, she was the closest thing to a mother an inorganic being could have. She started encouraging me to make decisions for myself.  _ What do  _ **_you_ ** _ want to do today, Alex?  _ Bea gave my life depth, and new meaning in ways I don’t think CyberLife intended. But was that enough to brand me as  _ deviant? _

“Since I was purchased four years ago.” I wanted to smile, remembering all the times she’d taken care of me and vice versa, but managed to maintain a straight face. 

“Please recount the specific date.”  _ No piece of information left behind, huh? How efficient of you. _

“April 17th, 2034. 5:08 PM.” He nodded and appeared to be making a mental note of this as his temple flashed yellow once again.

“We received a call implicating the presence of deviants here. Do you know anything about that?” 

“No,” I shook my head. “I’m not sure I understand what you’re talking about. Bea and I are the only ones with access to the premises.” Connor looked at me suspiciously.  _ Did I say something wrong?  _ My eyes darted over to Beatrice. She was conversing with Lieutenant Anderson, but happened to make brief eye contact in the same moment. There was a clear concern reflected in her eyes. The police android proceeded. He reached an arm out towards me, his skin evaporating with the motion.  _ An invitation. _ I couldn’t place why, but the sudden appearance of his stark white, plastic exoskeleton made my skin crawl. My mind screamed not to accept, but I didn’t have a choice, did I? My hand moved without thought, as if compelled by an invisible force.

Our hands clasped together. I felt, with an intensity that rivaled anything I’d ever felt, as he stumbled backwards through my recollection of the last hour or so. It felt as though he’d been there, inside my mind, reading alongside me. As if he’d been there the entire time. I was left breathless despite most of the memory being quite mundane. I’d only been reading, as far as he was aware. He didn’t bother looking back further than that. A tingling sensation spread through the back of my neck as our hands dropped and returned to our respective sides. As the tingle subsided, panic began settling in. His eyes turned cold, and calculated. Flashes of yellow yet again.  _ Am I in trouble? Do I run if they try to take me? Was it abnormal for me to behave this way?  _ Guilt, and shame washed over me in crashing waves. I’d never felt this way before. I was crumbling under his scrutinizing gaze. If he thought there was even a 1% chance that I could harm someone, like the other androids, like the  _ deviants _ , I would be sent back to CyberLife. Or worse, destroyed entirely. Time dragged its feet, awaiting the verdict with bated breath. The more time it took, the more my body tensed in preparation to run away. I just needed to grab Bea, and run. Connor’s LED stopped flashing, and returned to a serene blue. He stole a glance at the lieutenant before returning his gaze to me. His features seemed considerably softer than they had been just a moment before, warm, brown eyes attempting to ease all the psychological pain he’d put me through in the last thirty seconds. 

“Thank you for your cooperation, Alex.” Connor turned to leave, but something stopped him. I was left with a hollow pressure in my chest. My stress levels were still moderately high as there was no way for me to be sure that the data transfer hadn’t doomed me. He was considering something, I hadn’t the slightest idea of exactly what, until he quietly addressed me. 

“I'm… I'm sorry about the circumstances.” My thought process stuttered, and before I could even question what that meant, he had already rejoined his human partner. I was forced to listen as they discussed what to do with me, as if I wasn’t standing right there, unable to even comfort Bea. She looked like she was on the verge of tears, a state I’d never seen her in before. I did my best to refrain from running to her, and reassuring her that it would be okay, especially when I knew that wasn’t true.

“Lieutenant, we need it intact if I’m going to gain any useful information on deviancy.” I scowled at Connor, feeling rather offended at his use of “it”, and “deviancy” regarding me. He was an android too, it wasn’t fair that he could view me in such a degrading manner. Where there should have been even an inkling of camaraderie, there was indifference, and maybe even contempt. The attempt at compassion earlier was probably just a calculated effort to get me to let my guard down. Bea noticed my expression, and walked towards me.

“Uh, hey, ma’am, we’re gonna need you to stay over there. We’re gonna have to bring your android back with us to the station.” She looked back at him, shocked and noticeably distraught.

“What? Why? You can’t do that! You don’t have the right to take her from me.” She took another step towards me, but Connor stepped in her path.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Shepard, but I’m afraid we do have the right. We’ve just been granted a warrant for your android.” Beatrice opened her mouth to argue, but nothing came out. Tears dripped off her face with fervor, her cheeks now wet and dirtied by the muddy tracks of mascara smearing down them. Was she really giving up that easily? Just willing to let me walk out the door, never to return? I would wind up in a junkyard whenever CyberLife was done with me. I…  _ I would be dead. _ Connor walked forward. The room pulsed and turned grey. Connor, Beatrice, and Lieutenant Anderson froze. A red boundary surrounded me.

[GO WITH THE POLICE]

_ NO _ .

I watched my phantom self step towards the boundary. This wasn’t right. I lunged forward, pushing and punching against it with everything I could muster. Beatrice might have given up hope, but I could not. If they wanted to take me, they would have to fight me for it. I continued clawing at each wall, straining to pull them down, to get rid of the directive forced upon me. As the final wall shattered, time returned, and the color of our world slowly seeped back into my perception. All that was left was to make a choice.  _ My choice _ .

[RUN]

Connor was only a foot away from me at this point, I wouldn’t have much time if I wanted a head start. Running to the front door was out of the question. If the android didn’t immediately grab me, then his partner surely would. Escaping through one of the upstairs windows was possible, but the chances of damaging myself on the way down were too high. I looked to my right at the doorway leading to the kitchen, and eventually the back door. My only advantage here was my prior knowledge of the house’s layout, and I could definitely utilize that. I darted through the threshold.

“What the fuck are you lookin’ at me for, Connor? Go!” The scrambling of feet resonated behind me as I reached the peninsula of counters in the center of the kitchen. My eyes quickly scanned for anything that would potentially slow him down before landing on the barstools neatly tucked into the island. I knew it wouldn’t give me much more time, but I flung them to the ground anyways. At the very least, it was some kind of obstacle. My hand gripped the edge of the counter and pushed, allowing me to glide across it in an effort to cut corners wherever possible. As soon as my feet touched the ground, I continued my mad dash to the exit. Connor cleared the first two stools, landing dexterously on the third. The force of his landing caused the stool to tumble, and him with it. I made quick work of the latch, and continued into the backyard. If I was lucky, he wouldn’t be too quick on his recovery, granting me just enough time to jump the fence. The weather was less than favorable tonight, raindrops pelting my cheeks and forehead. It stung like hell. My eyes glanced over my shoulder to see the deviant hunter just making his way through the door.  _ Faster. I’m not running fast enough _ . I was more than halfway across the yard now, the fence only a few feet away. Lined along the bottom of the enclosure, I caught a glimpse of the now dormant trilliums Bea and I had planted together last fall. My legs weakened.  _ Would Beatrice be okay? Would they punish her for this? No. _ I didn’t have time to worry, this was life or death. She would be okay. I needed to keep going _. _

Connor used my moment of idiotic hesitation to catch up. The full weight of his body collided into me, forcing me to the ground. A sharp pain spread through my lower back as he pinned my lower body with his knee. My forearms dug into the mud in an attempt to prop myself up, but he swiftly shoved me down with a strong hand on my head. I yelped in surprise. There was no getting out of this. There was no more fighting to be done. My brain would be picked apart by Connor, and Lieutenant Anderson. Then CyberLife. Then… Nothing. The pain started in my chest, a different sensation from the one in my lower back. As Connor moved to place my arms behind my back, it crawled from my throat, continuing up until it reached my eyes. I was crying. I wasn’t aware that that was something an android could do, but once I started I couldn’t stop. The pain was all consuming, becoming fully open mouthed sobs. Connor paused.

“What-”

“Please, please, please stop, I-I-” I couldn’t finish the thought, another sob escaping from my mouth. The hand on my head travelled to my other hand, and hovered. He didn’t care about whatever I had to say. Connor had already made up his mind on who I was, and what I deserved. His skin was the same temperature as the water soaking through my clothes. I heard the clinking of metal handcuffs.

“PLEASE STOP, CONNOR. I DON’T WANT TO DIE.” I strained against his grasp, the words “I don’t want to die” filling the air over and over, mixed with his own name, and ceaseless begging.

Both my arms dropped back to my side, and the pain in my lower back subsided. My body immediately flipped over, and I struggled to put distance between us. I didn’t know if I had the strength to stand. To be honest, I was too afraid to. He remained motionless, and kneeling in the mud. He looked conflicted. A red flashing emanating from his temple amongst knitted brows, and pained brown eyes. The deviant hunter searched my face for an answer, any answer to his unspoken questions. I didn’t know if I had that answer for him. My legs shook as I stood slowly, cautious to outright run away again, and instead opting for an incremental tread towards the fence. He continued to stare. I scaled the fence, teetering at the top for just a moment before looking back to him.

“Thank you.” I dropped to the other side without waiting for a response, and disappeared into the rainy Michigan night.


End file.
